Where to Find Australia’s Precious Gems

Australia is a country blessed with pretty much every possible natural resource, and if you are interested in precious gems, you are in for a real treat. Whether you are looking for gold, sapphires or opals, you are sure to come across some stunning natural gems, and if you are lucky you may even be able to do a little prospecting and unearth a few of your own. Lots of Sydney or Melbourne tours will take you to places where you can buy opals, though the following are a few of the places where you can find some of Australia’s finest gems at their source.

Inverell

Anywhere known as Sapphire City has got to be a good place to look for gems, and Inverell certainly doesn’t disappoint. Whether you are a first time fossicker or a bit of an old hand, check into some comfortable Inverell accommodation and you are bound to have found something within your first couple of tries. Most of the fossicking here is on private property and you are charged a relatively inexpensive fee to fossick on their property, though it’s worth the money as you are pretty much sure to find some type of gems at these sites.

Coober Pedy

The opal capital of the world, Coober Pedy has been dazzling the world with its opals for almost a hundred years and continues to be the world’s number one source of these fantastic gems. Located in Outback South Australia, you will appreciate all of the underground attractions when the weather heats up, and while you may not be able to mine for your own gems, you can certainly buy opals here, as well as tour some of the mines the opals are found in. If you are visiting from overseas and are looking for a great souvenir to bring back for your partner or spouse, pick them up an opal for a guaranteed way to please.

Ballarat

Once upon a time Ballarat was swarming with gold miners dreaming of striking it rich, as thousands from all over Australia flooded Ballarat in the mid 1800’s during this country’s biggest ever Gold Rush. While lots did make it big, many others didn’t and stayed on in town to start a new life for themselves, and all of their stories are celebrated and commemorated in various ways here in Ballarat. A visit to Sovereign Hill is a must while you are here, which includes a look at the famous Ballarat Gold Museum.

There are precious gems literally all over Australia with there being massive amounts of riches buried in the earth. This has meant there is a constant battle between mining and environmental interests here to determine whether to leave an area untouched or dig it up. Some of the precious gems in Australia are pretty much only found here, so make a point of checking them out while you are right in amongst them. You may find you end up taking a few precious items back home with you when you go.

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